Systems Commonwealth
The All Systems Commonwealth, Systems Commonwealth, or the Commonwealth, is a democratic federation of planets, drifts, space stations, various orbital habitats, and even entire solar systems. The Commonwealth was a federal state created from the Vedran Empire. The Vedrans built their empire by traveling to the different star systems and conquering the inhabitants and colonizing the uninhabited worlds. However, the empire soon became too large, with the Vedrans being a statistical minority in their own empire. The Vedrans came to a compromise with the alien species that they had relations with or had conquered, and the Commonwealth was created. The Commonwealth was formed as a democratic federation of planets, drifts (space stations or orbital habitats), and systems. The Commonwealth (and its preceding Empire) was spread across three galaxies. History Origins Vedran Empire Not long after discovering the Slipstream and building slip-capable ships, the Vedrans set out on an aggressive imperial expansion, which began under General Huascar nax Yoweri and his mate Yoweri I, who became the first Vedran Empress. They founded an empire which included nearly a million worlds. The Vedran government was an absolutist hereditary monarchy, with the Empress as the head of state and government. As the Vedrans continued expanding throughout the Andromeda Galaxy, in which they originated, and the nearby Triangulum and Milky Way Galaxies, they eventually encountered the Kalderans in the Greater Magellanic Cloud. The Kalderans managed to somehow capture Vedran Slipstream technology and reverse-engineered it for their own use; it was not long before the Kalderan Alliance formed to oppose Vedran incursions into their system. This was one of few active attempts at resisting Vedran imperialism, and eventually escalated into the Kalderan-Vedran War for control of the Magellanic Cloud territories. The conflict ended with the Vedran bombardment of the Kalderan capital, Kalderash, and the forced integration of the Kalderan Alliance into the Vedran Empire. Despite four thousand years of successful conquest, the monolithic Vedran Empire could not last. The Vedrans themselves had become a minority within their own Empire, relative to the numbers of other races which included the Kalderans, Makra, and Perseids, amongst others. Eventually, even their military, the High Guard - previously the exclusive preserve of the Vedrans themselves - became too small to maintain control of the many planets within Vedran borders; the Vedrans were forced to allow non-Vedrans into their ranks. However, dissatisfaction with Vedran domination continued among the Empire's non-Vedran citizens. This culminated in the Perseid Insurrection, which was a failed but very significant attempt at secession by the Empire's Perseid worlds. The High Guard crushed the uprising violently and thus preserved the Empress' authority, but at the same time a series of events and reforms were set in motion that would eventually undermine absolute imperial authority and set the stage for democracy. Empire to Commonwealth The popular reaction to the devastation of the Perseid Insurrection forced the Vedrans to appease their subjects lest they face a more widespread revolution. Years later, a movement led by a Vedran spiritual guide named Sucharitkul voted to give more power to the people and less to the throne. Elections were held in CY 4205 for the Conclave, the first parliament for the Empire. Over the following decades, the Conclave would exceed its intended purpose as a powerless facade and pass reforms and legislation. This iniative soon evolved into republicanism, and factions formed calling for the abolishment of the Imperial Throne and establishment of a Systems Republic. The Empress and her loyalists protested and only a compromise brokered by Sani nax Rifati prevented a civil war. The Vedran Empire became the Systems Commonwealth, and instead of being an absolute hereditary monarchy, it became a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, with the Empress as a ceremonial head of state to symbolize the bond of Vedran monarchy to popular democracy. Systems Commonwealth All Systems University Soon after the Empire morphed into the Commonwealth, the All Systems University was born to collect and preserve knowledge from the Known Worlds. One of its most prominent components was the Special Collections Division, which would grow into the main field research and preservation division. Government Political System The political system of the Commonwealth was a classic parliamentary democracy. The Vedran Empress remained as head of state, though with little real power. In lieu of one Premier or Chancellor, the Systems Commonwealth had three heads of government: the Triumvirate, to prevent one person from taking too much power and keep the political system balanced. The Conclave parliament (Congress) was tricameral: the Voice of the Sectors represented Sectors (or groups of star systems); the Voice of the Planets represented each member world individually; and a directly-popularly-elected Voice of the People. With the end of the centralized Vedran Empire and introduction of a democratic Commonwealth, there also came political flexibility and thus decentralization. Essentially, the Commonwealth turned from a firm union into a federation of different sectorial governments. Systems Commonwealth Congress The Systems Commonwealth Congress is a body in the New Systems Commonwealth and based on the planet Tarazed where it operated alongside the Triumvirate. Alternate Universe Versions Inferno Regime-Verse During the Regime War, the Commonwealth fleet encountered several races entering their galaxy, including the VUX, Umgah, Thraddash and Spathi, to name a few. At the onset of the Andromeda Campaign, the High Guard fleet suffered many defeats at the hands of the invading Hester's Regime forces, though the planet itself would come under attack by Ur-Quan, Zangyack and Combine forces. Later, with the help of the Xen Aliens and new members such as the Tywom, Tarn-Vedra was eventually taken back, and the Commonwealth started rebuilding itself.